EDM Machinery, a company which grew out of the University of Tartu, has launched the first 3D printer designed and built in Estonia.

The idea to produce 3D printers came to the company after staff became tired of repairing a 3D printer they had purchased.

“We now are aiming to produce a larger quantity of printers and visit different expos, from where we will find interested parties and new ideas,” CEO Kersti Vatter said, adding that they plan to continue improving the design and help the sector grow in the world.

The 2,500-euro 3D printer is aimed at more research and innovation intensive businesses. The printer comes with a 2-year guarantee.

Estonian Minister of Defence Sven Mikser is to sign a contract on the purchase of Javelin anti-tank missile systems next Tuesday.

The U.S. Department of State approved sale of the Javelin anti-tank missile system to Estonia at the beginning of October. The value of the contract is 55 million dollars or around 43.3 million euros.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told BNS on Friday that the exact amounts will become clear when the contract is signed.

Estonia has expressed a wish to buy 350 Javelin missiles and other equipment necessary for using the system as well as spare parts.

Mikser said Estonia’s strategic ally the United States understands that in the changed security situation Estonia must increase deterrence against a possible aggressor. “With new anti-tank missile systems we will increase the fighting efficiency of the defense forces,” he said at the beginning of October.

The government approved on Oct. 9 budget changes as a result of which the first payment for the Javelins can be made from this year’s budget.

At the beginning of June the government tasked the defense minister with entering into talks with the United States to purchase third-generation Javelin anti-tank missile systems and sign the contract if the conditions are acceptable.

The effective range of the so-called fire-and-forget missile is from 65 meters to 2.5 kilometers. The anti-tank missile system has been used by the armed forces of the United States and many other countries since mid-1990s.

Transport tycoon Oleg Ossinovski has pulled further away from competitors for the label of the richest in the nation, despite losing over 10 million euros since the 2013 Äripäev annual list.

Hillar Teder, in real estate and the richest man in 2012, was again second, but continued to lose financial value, with the business daily valuing him at only 238.4 million euros, nearly 60 million less than a year ago, a 110 million drop since 2012. Ossinovski, father of Minister of Education Jevgeni Ossinovski, was valued at 286 million this year.

Both Teder and Ossinovski are heavily involved with business in the wider region, including Ukraine, although the conflict has had a greater effect on Teder, who has struggled to keep his real estate projects in Kyiv.

According to preliminary data of Statistics Estonia, in 2013 the Estonian general government deficit was 0.2% and the gross debt level was 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

At the end of 2013, the total expenditures of the general government exceeded the revenues by 34 million euros, accounted as the Maastricht deficit criteria. By the end of the year, the central government deficit decreased from 123 million euros in 2012 to 14 million euros. The deficit of the local government sector increased almost three times over the year, amounting to 83 million euros. The budget of social security funds was also in surplus by 63 million euros, but it was tighter than in three previous years.

In 2013, both the levels of the general government’s total expenditures and revenues were 3% higher than a year before. Returns from taxes to the general government budget were 5% higher. For the second consecutive year, revenues from the personal and corporate income tax increased the most (15% in total). Property income underwent a significant fall (decrease of 16%), mostly due to a decrease in dividends. The foreign aid revenues lessened significantly over the year, but for this change it is important to notice the high level of income in 2012 – in 2013, the foreign aid revenues accounted for 405 million euros, 506 million in 2012 and 432 million euros in 2011. There was a considerable change in investments – in 2013, the general government sector spent 154 million euros less for investments than in 2012.

The consolidated debt of the general government (Maastricht debt) rose by 132.7 million euros, reaching 1.8 billion euros by the end of 2013. The local governments as well as the central government contributed to the growth of the debt level. The volume of the long-term securities issued by the central government decreased by 4% and the loan liabilities rose by 8%. The share of foreign debt in the central government’s loan liabilities was nearly 90%.

The Estonian involvement in the European temporary rescue mechanism, EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility) increased by 104 million euros in 2013. At the end of 2013, the liabilities towards the EFSF totalled 458 million euros, of which 80% went for the participation in the rescue package for Greece, 11% for Portugal and 9% for Ireland.

The overall debt level of the local governments grew by 12% compared to 2012. The volume of both short-term and long-term loans increased (15% in total), including the 12% of the loans financed by foreign capital. The volume of the securities other than shares increased slightly as well (7%). Similarly to 2012, social security funds did not contribute to the general government sector debt as at the end of 2013 either.

Surplus/deficit and debt level of the general government in Estonia, 2007–2013

Eurostat is going to publish the data on the preliminary debt and deficit levels of the Member States on 23 April.

On 21 May 2013, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) No 549/2013 on the European system of national and regional accounts in the European Union (ESA 2010). From 1 September 2014, all Member States will change the current methodology, ESA 95, to a new methodology, ESA 2010. Statistics Estonia will publish the usual data for the general government’s deficit and debt levels according to the new methodology on 23 September 2014.

According to the data of the 2011 Population and Housing Census (PHC 2011), there were 599,832 households in Estonia. Compared to the previous, 2000 Population Census, the share of households with children younger than 18 years of age has decreased from 33.6% to 25.2%.

In 2011, one-family households accounted for 56.7% of all households (i.e. households with married or cohabiting couples or households with lone parent), where 75.7% of household members lived. Compared to 2000, the share of households with cohabiting couples has increased (from 10.1% to 13.6%) and the share of households with married couples has decreased (from 36.8% to 30.1%). The share of households with lone parents among one-family households has decreased by 1.7 percentage points. The number and share of households with one member has increased considerably.

There were a few multi-family households in Estonia, where e.g. the family of grandparents and younger generation lived together (1.6%), there were also a few non-family households with several members (1.8%) (e.g. households where two sisters or brothers or a grandparent with a grandchild lived together).

In 2000, there were children younger than 18 years of age in every third household (33.6%), in 2011 only in every fourth household (25.2%). The number of households with children aged less than 18 years decreased by more than 44,000, of which the number of households with one child decreased over 25,000 and the number of families with several children over 19,000.

The younger the children, the more often they live with cohabiting parents (41.3% of children aged less than 3 years, 20.5% of children aged 12–17). The older the children, the more often they live in families of lone parents (16.8% of children aged less than 3 years, 28% of children aged 12–17). The last fact characterises the trend of decay of families – many children are not born in the families of lone parents, but stay living with one parent as a result of the decay of the family.

Although the number of permanent residents has decreased by more than 75,000 persons compared to 2000, in 2011 the number of households has grown by 3%. This has brought along the decrease in the size of the average household from 2.33 members to 2.13 members. The share of one-member households has grown significantly (from 33.5% to 39.9%, but the share of households larger than average, first and foremost households with 3 and 4 members has decreased (from 18.8% to 15.9% and from 13.3% to 10.5%, respectively).

There are several reasons for the above mentioned changes. Firstly, compared to the 2000 Census the number of children younger than 18 years of age in total population has declined by 74,000. That is the reason why the number and share of households with children has decreased significantly, but in general the households with children aged less than 18 years are households with the biggest number of members. Secondly, the share of elderly people in population has increased who usually live alone or two together. The third reason is connected with the improvement of living conditions, as a result of which households connecting several families have often decayed and families have started to live separately. This is shown by the changes in the structure of households as well as in the size of living area and number of dwellings. Fourthly, the number of one-member households has increased on account of the growth in the number of students by more than 11,000.